Activist-turned-presidential aspirant Boniface Mwangi has accused the government of intimidation and harassment aimed at silencing him ahead of his planned 2027 presidential run.
Speaking in Nairobi on Sunday during a press conference, Mwangi informed journalists that he was afraid for his life after discovering a spent ammunition cartridge in his handbag shortly after he landed in Malindi on October 9, 2025.
According to Mwangi, the bullet was likely planted when his bag had a momentary disappearance from sight at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“This blank cartridge must have been slipped into my bag amidst the very brief moments it wasn’t in my possession,” Mwangi said. “This is a direct threat to my life.”
Mwangi revealed that he chose not to report the incident to police, fearing the act could be used against him to frame him, as he is also accused of what he referred to as trumped-up charges of illegal possession of ammunition. Instead, he reported it to his lawyers and a human rights organization.
The activist claimed that the incident was part of a wider pattern of state persecution that began in June 2024, including five arrests, an attempted abduction, and multiple raids on his home and offices.
He further alleged that his communications are under surveillance, his social media accounts suppressed, and his digital devices cloned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“The government is using both legal and illegal means to frustrate me,” Mwangi said. “They have weaponized cybercrime laws and initiated false charges, even planning to deregister my businesses.”
A long-time critic of successive governments, Mwangi compared the current threats to those he faced under former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime, saying he has previously endured arrests, physical assaults, and constant monitoring.
“I have decided to take the bold decision to share this latest threat with the country, regardless of any potential consequences, for it is our silence that emboldens those intent on doing us harm. It is clear that my life is in danger, and has been for quite some time now.
“The attempts to intimidate me are becoming more brazen and far more direct, however. I appear to have been singled out for harassment since no other Kenyan, in recent times, has experienced so many arrests, targeted character assassination, and physical attacks as I have,” Mwangi added.
Mwangi warned that if anything happens to him, the government should be held responsible.
“If anything happens to me, look no further than State House,” he said.
